I Like/Love #35

I'm popping in with an extra gratitude post this month because I forgot a few items from my end of the month post in November.

1. The first one I forgot to include was a lovely conversation I had with a fellow ambassador, Gene. I like him! We were speaking of our mums/moms, and I had said how my mum would have loved seeing all the quilts in the 3D Challenge for December. She especially loved the trompe-l'ceil effect used by artists where the eye is fooled. Bargello effects where a quilt looks rippled or folded is one example. Somehow we got to talking and discovered our mutual love of figures of speech, and our mutual cringing at writers' faux pas in writing, such as spelling the French expression, 'voilà!' used in the sense of 'ta-da!' and meaning 'here (or there) it is!' as 'viola' which is a flower, or 'wa-la' which is not even the correct pronunciation. A 'v' is a 'v' in French.

Anyhow... to get to my like! Regarding the trompe-l'ceil effect paired with a pun, Gene sent me the photo below from an art book he has.

Isn't that terrific? The artist is Jim Brower who passed away in 2016 at the age of 101. I especially love how well he painted the oil! *Le dictionnaire Larousse let me know that trompe-l'ceil is the correct spelling, with the hyphen and the joined oe. That linked oe comes from Latin in this case.



2. The second like is a photo my sister Linda sent me last month of the most beautiful frost painting by Mother Nature on her windshield when she went out to start her car one morning.

She thought of me she said because of the feathers etched on her window, knowing my love of quilting feathers. Isn't it just such a masterpiece?

3. The first night Brady was here, the power went out for a few hours. I dug up all the candles I could find, which weren't many, since a lot are packed away somewhere. I loved the three in this little grouping.

I like the candle in a mug that Dayna gave me, "Mum Life is the Best Life", the candle in a birch bark wrapped glass holder, and my beach glass dish I made with Lake Erie glass. I like the battery-operated candles better than those that aren't, although I do love the scents. I also love the inspirational quote for that very day:

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,

and the life of that single candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared."

-Buddha

Can't get much more perfect than that!

4. I like a new restaurant we went to for MacGyver's birthday this week, Billy's Tap House. Their burger section is awesome, and the best part? Your choice of meat or black bean patty! I had the Roasted Red Pepper burger and it was divine. All the meat, wines, beer, even the brioche buns are sourced locally. I love that.

5. I like this sweatshirt Brianne gave me as an early Christmas present.

I wore it when I taught yoga on Sunday morning and got mixed reactions. "Oh, you DON'T watch those movies, do you??" "Oh, I love those movies!" Well, I like watching a couple of them each year if I could...last year when I was visiting my friend John in Florida, and then Brianne and Brady in Alberta, we watched a few, but I don't get, never have, The Hallmark Channel, so it was a new experience. They're feel good movies, predictable, no deep thinking life lessons, yes, but good. 

6. I love my quilting friends in QBL. I asked a few close ones if they were able to test the 6" block that is going in my house block cushion I am making as my first project in the Island Batik 3D Challenge for December. It is a quick turnaround as the cushion post will be out on Friday, and I want to give the pattern free to anyone who purchases the block off bluprint (see sidebar) in December. Two were immediately able to get it done, and both got it done the very day I sent the instructions. Here's a wee sneak peek:

If you want to join other like-minded, 'hearts full even when they are sometimes heavy' peeps, then pop over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color, where you can find the list of those of us who participate. You may even decide to write up a Like/Love post of your own! I hope you do.